Trojans win opener

Published 10:00 pm Friday, February 19, 2021

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Orlando Ortiz struck out 11 and walked none in his Friday night debut as Troy secured a 10-4 victory over Youngstown State on Opening Night at Riddle-Pace Field. The Trojans improve to 5-1 in season-openers under head coach Mark Smartt.

Eight of nine Trojan starters recorded a hit in the game, highlighted by Clay Stearns 2-for-2 night at the plate with a two-run homer and a triple for a total of three RBIs. William Sullivan went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the first inning and crushed his first-career home run to right field in the bottom of the fourth.

Kyle Mock finished 4-for-5 with an RBI, and was responsible for two of Troy’s (1-0, 0-0 SBC) six doubles on the night. Drew Frederic also posted a multi-hit game with a double in the second and an RBI single in the seventh.

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Rigsby Mosley led off with a single before Dalton Sinquefield’s double to right-center opened the scoring in the first inning. Sullivan’s double scored Sinquefield before Garofalo did his job and brought home Sullivan with a sac-fly.

Youngstown State (0-1, 0-0 HL) found a quick response in the top of the second on a two-run home run from Nick Caruso.

Five unanswered runs – two in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth – by the Trojans gave Troy control of the contest before both squads plated a run in the seventh and eighth innings.

Ortiz notched the win on the mound after going six innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. The junior allowed two runs and just three hits. Lance Johnson made his 94th appearance as a Trojan and struck out two of the four batters he faced to close the game.

Colin Clark was tagged with the loss for the Penguins after pitching 4.2 innings and allowing eight runs on 11 hits.